Finally!!

Well, this particular project has been one of the more challenging ones. Maybe this is why I have avoided paintings that need to look like something, or in this case someone.

I little bit of background. For the last 7 years our bike shop has sponsored the Gorilla Century, a recreational bicycle ride that roams around Cherokee and Crawford Counties. There are three loops, a 32, 60, and 100 miler. The first ride in year 2003 celebrated 100 years of Pittsburg State University. Purely a coincidence that year was also the 100th anniversary of the Tour de France.

Each year, Roger and I collaborate on a t-shirt design. In the past the designs have been pen and ink, no color. This year we decided on color and of a cyclist. A photo of our friend Todd taken by his wife Deborah epitomizes cycling just as Todd and Deb do in every way. Warmth, openness, welcome and loads of enthusiasm for the sport of cycling are a part of their very fiber.

As an artist, after a number of years of not copying from other pictures, I found this very difficult. The urge to use a photo-editing program was almost too strong to deny. It would have been so much easier, however I believe it would have lacked the personal touch that only a hand can give. Digging deep and painting through the issues of "does it have to look exactly like the photo" and forcing myself to leave out numerous details has given me a little growth and more work to accomplish on my artistic self. It is important to me to be well-rounded as an artist and not be pegged into a particular style.

This painting is work from Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Finally, so happy it is done.